Self-Motivation and Summer Vacation — by Brandon Vamos

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Self-Motivation and Summer Vacation — by Brandon Vamos

As I helped my students over the last few weeks in preparation for their juries and looked through my calendar to discover how many recitals I will be attending before the middle of May, it suddenly hit me. The end of the school year is upon us once again. That time when there’s one final burst of juries and lessons, tests and papers before summer vacation hits. And after a long academic year, summer vacation can offer a welcome change. I remember those summers I was attending summer programs, and had three or four weeks off, or those students who sometimes have the entire summer devoted to working or relaxation. But regardless of what your summer plans may look like this year, I’d encourage you to remember one very important aspect of being a successful musician: self-motivation. The truth is, although some time off is occasionally beneficial, nothing will ever be handed to you. You are responsible for making it happen. No teacher, manager or job will magically fall from the sky. You will find that the common denominator in successful careers is self-motivation, with a strong focus on goals.

So what exactly does this look like? Well, to start, goals, scheduling, and performing need to be at the forefront of your thinking. It’s possible to make as much progress in the summer as in a whole semester. Without classes or other distractions there is unlimited time to devote to things like choosing new rep, focusing on technical issues or just improving your level of performance. For some students, not having a teacher for a stretch of time can be a challenge, but this guidance is something that will not always be there. Eventually the goal of a performer needs to be not relying on outside input, instead making their own technical and musical decisions. I often find myself exploring new ideas with students that come to light during my own time playing and practicing. The time you spend with your instrument is not only crucial, but directly related to your progress.

But enough talking in big, lofty ideas. In order to really make all this happen the first step is to schedule in practice time. Not just decide that this week you’ll devote a few hours here and there. But formally schedule times for practice, for listening, for looking for new rep. For example, instead of a free day that might easily slip away, you’ll know you have from 9-11am and 4-6pm booked – set aside to practice. Each hour should be devoted to something specific: from 9-10am work on scales, arpeggios, and etudes and from 10-11am on concertos. Give yourself the opportunity to achieve goals by not just setting them, but giving yourself deadlines. Nothing is a better motivator than a deadline. My quartet is like that. We give ourselves big projects (learning, playing, recording cycles, performances, etc) that push us to learn rep. And let’s face it, a little bit of pressure can be a great motivator! The other thing you can easily take advantage of over the summer are a multitude of performing opportunities. Before you tell me you don’t have any groups to play with or concerts scheduled, it’s much easier than you think. And I’ll remind you that the benefits of performing are many. In addition to gaining visibility and experience, familiarizing yourself with rep, and improving as a performer, performances are great opportunities to meet goals (think about how you work to get a piece ready to play in studio class during the school year). Performances don’t have to always be formal. Contact a local community center, nursing home or retirement community or even a church. Even host an impromptu performance at your home or work. The first performance of a piece can often present a number of challenges. Getting the “first time” jitters out of the way will help make the second performance significantly stronger. All these things will be sure to keep you on track and prepared for whatever is to come in the fall, whether it’s another school year, beginning a new gig or freelancing on your own.

School life is of course challenging. Students are pulled in many different directions and a lot is expected of them. But that unfortunately does not change with a professional career. In fact, it might even get more demanding! But especially in those cases, self-motivation is more important than ever. Any good career cannot be stagnant. There’s no room for thoughts of “I’ve made it, so now I can sit back and enjoy the ride.” As musicians we must constantly push ourselves to learn more music and take on more (and sometimes very time consuming) projects. We need to continuously improve and grow. Without goals, we’d quickly lose the enjoyment. The workload is tough, but the rewards are many.

By Brandon Vamos|2018-03-14T04:34:06-04:00May 5th, 2011|Categories: In the Practice Room, Self Discovery|Tags: Experience, scales, Practice, improvement, Brandon, recording, arpeggios, scheduling, student, school, career, success, Summer, Growth, challenges, Performing, focus, cello, motivation, cellobello, practicing|

About the Author: Brandon Vamos

Assistant Professor of Cello, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Cellist, Pacifica Quartet

B.M. Eastman School of Music, M.M Yale University

Brandon Vamos has performed solo and chamber music recitals both in the U.S and abroad to critical acclaim. Called a “first rate cellist” by the Chicago Reader and praised for his “gutsy bravura” by the Chicago Tribune, Mr. Vamos has appeared as soloist with several orchestras worldwide including performances with the Taipei City Symphony, the Suwon Symphony in Seoul, the Samara Symphony in Russia, and the New Philharmonia Orchestra and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra in Chicago. Mr. Vamos has collaborated with many distinguished artists including Paul Katz, Michael Tree, Yo-Yo Ma, Menachem Pressler, and the Emerson Quartet and has recorded for Cedille, Naxos, and Cacophony Records. Awarded a Performer’s Certificate at the Eastman School of Music where he earned a Bachelor of Music Degree as a student of Paul Katz, Mr. Vamos has also studied with distinguished artists such as Tanya Carey in Macomb, Illinois, and Aldo Parisot at Yale University, where he earned a Master of Music Degree. He has previously served as a faculty member at Northwestern University and currently is Assistant Professor of Cello at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Guest Lecturer at the University of Chicago and Boston’s Longy School of Music.

The Pacifica Quartet has achieved international stature as one of the finest chamber ensembles performing today. Recent career honors include appointment as quartet-in-residence at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the position held for 43 years by the Guarneri String Quartet. In 2009 the Pacifica was named Ensemble of the Year by Musical America and received the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance. Other awards include the Naumburg Chamber Music Award, Chamber Music America’s Cleveland Quartet Award and appointment to The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s program for gifted young musicians. In 2006 the Pacifica was awarded a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, becoming only the second chamber music ensemble to be so honored in the Grant’s long history.

The Pacifica Quartet tours extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia and performs in the world’s major concert halls. The ensemble can be also be heard on many of the nation’s most prominent radio broadcasts, including Chicago’s WFMT, Boston’s WGBH, New York’s WNYC, and American Public Media’s Performance Today and St. Paul Sunday. Having given highly acclaimed performances of the complete Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Elliott Carter string quartets in recent seasons, the Quartet will perform the monumental Shostakovich quartet cycle in Chicago and New York during the 2010-2011 season. In 2011-2012, the Pacifica will take the Shostakovich cycle to London’s Wigmore Hall and will also present the complete Beethoven cycle at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.